Side Cured Light-Transmissive Display System

ABSTRACT

An invisible, light-transmissive display system with a light resistant material is provided. The light resistant material has a first side and a second side. Substantially invisible holes penetrate between the first surface and the second surface in a predetermined light-transmissive display pattern. The second surface is exposed to a side curing light that is substantially parallel to the second surface at the invisible holes thereadjacent. A light-conducting curable filler is applied into the invisible holes from the first surface. Surfaces of the light-conducting curable filler are cured in the invisible holes at the second surface with the side curing light. The remaining curable filler in the invisible holes is cured.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/105,352, filed May 11, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/834,486, filed Aug. 6, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No.7,960,684, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

The present application contains subject matter related to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/456,833 filed Jul. 11, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No.7,844,315, titled “INVISIBLE, LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE DISPLAY SYSTEM,” andassigned to the assignee of the present application.

The present application contains subject matter related to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/551,988 filed Oct. 23, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No.7,880,131, titled “INVISIBLE, LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE DISPLAY SYSTEM,” andassigned to the assignee of the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to device display systems, andmore particularly to invisible, light-transmissive display systems thatbecome visible when illuminated from behind

BACKGROUND ART

In the world of consumer devices, and particularly consumer electronics,there is an ever-present demand for improved appearance, improvedfunctionality, and improved aesthetics. Industrial design has become ahighly skilled profession that focuses on fulfilling this need forenhanced consumer product appearance, functionality, and aesthetics.

One area that continually receives great attention for improvement isuser displays. Providing crisp, attractive, unambiguous, and intuitivelyfriendly displays and information for the user is very important in manyconsumer products. However, as consumer products constantly becomesmaller and smaller, and in some cases more and more complex, it becomesincreasingly difficult to present and display user information in amanner that is easy for the user to grasp and understand, but is also inan uncluttered form and appearance that is aesthetically pleasing.

Much of the aesthetic appeal of a consumer product can quickly becompromised if there are too many display elements, or if too muchdisplay area is occupied by display elements that are not needed exceptat particular times. When not needed, these “passive” or unactivateddisplay elements invariably remain visible to the user, even though inthe “off” state. This is not only displeasing from an aestheticstandpoint, but it can be an annoying distraction that interferes withdetection and understanding of other display elements that need to beobserved at a given moment.

Many display elements are illuminated. Some display elements areilluminated continuously; others arc illuminated only when appropriateto instruct and guide the user. Display elements that are notcontinuously illuminated can be distracting, or at least aestheticallyobjectionable, when not illuminated (when in the off state) because theystill remain visible in the display area.

For example, one typical such display element is configured fromtransparent plastic inserts that penetrate through the metallic case ofan electronic device, and are smoothly flush with the outer surface ofthe case. Oftentimes, a large number of such always-visible displayelements leads to a cluttered, confusing, and unattractive appearance.In fact, even a single such element, when not illuminated (i.e., in aninactive state), can become an unattractive blotch on an otherwisesmooth and attractive surface.

Less expensive device cases, for example, those made of opaque plasticrather than metal, are often similarly provided with transparent plasticinserts for illuminated display elements. These display elements al soconflict with a good aesthetic appearance when they are not illuminated.

Also, prior displays using plastic or glass are less durable than metaland are more subject to breaking or cracking.

Additionally, the separate visible inserts utilized by prior techniquessometimes do not fit perfectly in the holes in which they are insertedor formed. Such imperfect fit can invite entry of liquids, dirt, and soforth, undesirably causing yet another disadvantage.

Thus, a need still remains for commercially feasible device displaysystems with improved aesthetics that unobtrusively furnish informationas appropriate but otherwise do not distract or detract from the user'sexperience or the device's performance.

In view of ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasingconsumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningfulproduct differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly criticalthat answers be found to these problems. Moreover, the ever-increasingneed to save costs, improve efficiencies, improve performance, and meetsuch competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the criticalnecessity that answers be found to these problems.

Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developmentshave not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to theseproblems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an invisible, light-transmissive displaysystem with a light resistant material. The light resistant material hasa first side and a second side. Substantially invisible holes penetratebetween the first surface and the second surface in a predeterminedlight-transmissive display pattern. The second surface is exposed to aside curing light that is substantially parallel to the second surfaceat the invisible holes thereadjacent. A light-conducting curable filleris applied into the invisible holes from the first surface. Surfaces ofthe light-conducting curable filler are cured in the invisible holes atthe second surface with the side curing light. The remaining curablefiller in the invisible holes is cured.

Certain embodiments of the invention have other aspects in addition toor in place of those mentioned above. The aspects will become apparentto those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detaileddescription when taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a portable computer incorporating an invisible,light-transmissive display system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged detail from FIG. 1 of status indicators shown inan illuminated state;

FIG. 2B is a view similar to FIG. 2A in which the status indicators arein an unilluminated state;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged detail from FIG. 1 of the caps lock indicatorshown in an illuminated state;

FIG. 3B is a view similar to FIG. 3A in which the caps lock indicator isin an unilluminated state;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged detail from FIG. 1 of the sleep indicator shownin an illuminated state;

FIG. 4B is a view similar to FIG. 4A in which the sleep indicator is inan unilluminated state;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a fragment of light resistant materialhaving an opaque outer surface and incorporating an invisible,light-transmissive display system according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an inverted cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG.5 in an early stage of manufacture;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG. 7 duringapplication of a clear coat and exposure to a side UV light;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG. 8 afterfurther processing to cure the clear coat within the holes;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG. 9 duringcompletion of the curing process;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the fragment shown in FIG. 10 afterfurther processing that cleans the outer surface; and

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a process for manufacturing an invisible,light-transmissive display system in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enablethose skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments would be evident based on the presentdisclosure, and that process or mechanical changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

In the following description, numerous specific details are given toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will beapparent that the invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In order to avoid obscuring the present invention, somewell-known system configurations and process steps are not disclosed indetail.

Likewise, the drawings showing embodiments of the system aresemi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of thedimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown greatlyexaggerated in the drawing FIGs.

Similarly, although the views in the drawings for ease of descriptiongenerally show similar orientations, this depiction in the FIGs. isarbitrary for the most part. Generally, the invention can be operated inany orientation. In addition, where multiple embodiments are disclosedand described having some features in common, for clarity and ease ofillustration, description, and comprehension thereof, similar and likefeatures one to another will ordinarily be described with like referencenumerals.

For expository purposes, the term “horizontal” as used herein is definedas a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the display, regardlessof its orientation. The term “vertical” refers to a directionperpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms, such as “on”,“above”, “below”, “bottom”, “top”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”,“lower”, “upper”, “over”, and “under”, are defined with respect to thehorizontal plane.

Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is shown a portable computer 100 havinga housing base 102 that supports a keyboard 104 having keys 106, atouchpad 108, a release latch 110, and so forth. The housing base 102also supports conventional components (not shown) such as a powersupply, a microprocessor (“CPU”), a computer memory, a hard drive(“HD”), an optical disk drive (“ODD”), and so forth. A display 112 ishingedly attached to the housing base 102, and when closed is retainedin place by the release latch 110.

The portable computer 100 has several status indicators according to thepresent invention, as will be described in further detail below. Thesestatus indicators include, for example, a caps lock indicator 114, asleep indicator 116, status indicators 118, a power button 120, and soforth. The caps lock indicator 114 is located in the caps lock key 122of the keyboard 104 to indicate when the caps lock function of thekeyboard 104 has been engaged. The sleep indicator 116 is located in therelease latch 110 to indicate when the portable computer 100 has beenengaged in a sleep mode. The status indicators 118 may be used toprovide information concerning the status of any function or activityassigned thereto, for example, wireless link status, video camerastatus, low battery, battery charging, hard drive activity, and soforth. Similarly, the power button 120 can be illuminated to indicatethat the computer is powered on, or may be illuminated upon opening thedisplay 112 to assist in locating the power button 120, and so forth.

In prior computer configurations and designs, these various statusindicators arc ordinarily visible to the user in both the activated (or“on”) and the inactivated (or “off’) states. In the on state, anindicator will characteristically be illuminated continuously orperiodically (e.g., cyclically), sometimes with a particularinformational color according to the status that the indicator isreporting. In the off state, the indicator will typically be darkened(inactivated or unilluminated), but unfortunately (in manycircumstances) can nonetheless still be seen. In the off state,therefore, the indicator often distracts and/or spoils the aesthetics ofthe portable computer 100.

In contrast, it is believed that a majority of consumers would find theportable computer 100 to be more attractive if status indicators of thissort became invisible in the off state. Of course, it will also beappreciated that there are other circumstances in which an indicator,such as a logo, would preferably remain visible even when in the offstate, and circumstances of that sort are also addressed hereinbelow.

Concerning status indicators that would ideally not be visible (i.e.,would disappear) in the off state, a principal difficulty faced byprevious techniques is that such status indicators are ordinarilylocated in a partially or completely opaque display surface area. Forthe status indicator to function, therefore, the surface is interruptedat the status indicator location so that the light from the statusindicator can be externally visible to the user. The consequent visiblediscontinuity in the appearance of the surface is therefore alwaysvisible to the user, whether the indicator is on or off.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, therein is shown an enlarged detail from FIG.1 of the status indicators 118 according to the present invention. Thestatus indicators 118 are illustrated in the on or illuminated andvisible state.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, therein is shown a view similar to FIG. 2A inwhich the status indicators 118 are in the off or unilluminated state.As can be seen, the status indicators 118 in the off state have becomeinvisible. The surface of the display 112 in which the status indicators118 are located is smooth, continuous, uncluttered, and uninterrupted.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, therein is shown an enlarged detail from FIG.1 of the caps lock indicator 114 according to the present invention. Thecaps lock indicator 114 is illustrated in the on or illuminated andvisible state.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, therein is shown a view similar to FIG. 3A inwhich the caps lock indicator 114 is in the off or unilluminated state.As can be seen, the caps lock indicator 114 in the off state has becomeinvisible. The surface of the caps lock key 122 in which the caps lockindicator 114 is located is smooth, continuous, uncluttered, anduninterrupted.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, therein is shown an enlarged detail from FIG.1 of the sleep indicator 116 according to the present invention. Thesleep indicator 116 is illustrated in the on or illuminated and visiblestate.

Referring now to FIG. 4B, therein is shown a view similar to FIG. 4A inwhich the sleep indicator 116 is in the off or unilluminated state. Ascan be seen, the sleep indicator 116 in the off state has becomeinvisible. The surface of the release latch 110 in which the sleepindicator 116 is located is smooth, continuous, uncluttered, anduninterrupted.

The status indicators 118, the caps lock indicator 114, the sleepindicator 116, and other desired display patterns that disappear in theoff state, form “ghosted field” display patterns that appear anddisappear (like ghosts) when turned on and off As explained in greaterdetail hereinbelow, such invisible, light-transmissive display systemscan be provided for viewing at an outer surface of a light resistantmaterial. Such a light resistant material may be, for example, asubstantially opaque material such as metal, or a light-absorbing buttranslucent material such as colored plastic, or a coated or paintedmaterial, or material of other appropriate composition andconfiguration. As used herein, therefore, “light resistant” refers tosome degree of light attenuation, up to and including complete opacity.

Invisible holes arc then penetrated in one or more desiredlight-transmissive display patterns through at least a portion of thelight resistant material to provide the ghosted field display patterns.

Referring now to FIG. 5, therein is shown an enlarged view of a fragment500 of light resistant material having an opaque outer surface 502according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment,the opaque outer surface 502 is the outer surface of a metallic sheet ofaluminum. Holes 504 are formed in and penetrate through the opaque outersurface 502 to the opposite or inner side (i.e., inner surface 702 shownin FIG. 7) of the fragment 500.

The holes 504, although shown greatly exaggerated in the drawing FIGs.,arc actually invisible. That is, each of the holes 504 is smaller thanresolvable by an unaided human eye. For example, the limit of resolutionfor the human eye is about 0.1 mm at a distance from the eye of 1 meter.In children, the resolution might be somewhat finer, for example, 0.04mm. Thus, depending upon the anticipated viewer and viewing distance,the holes 504 will be selected to be below the limit of resolution, andit will accordingly be understood that the term “invisible hole” refersto this upper limit. Thus, as defined herein, “invisible holes” refersto holes that are smaller than resolvable by an unaided human eye.

Conversely, it will be understood that the term “visible holes” refersto holes that are large enough to be resolvable by an unaided human eye.

As depicted in FIG. 5, the holes 504 are arranged in a pattern 506 thatforms a status indicator shaped as a circle or dot. For expositoryreasons, just as the holes 504 are shown greatly exaggerated in size, soalso is the size of the pattern 506 greatly exaggerated. Typically,however, the pattern 506 will be large enough to be seen whenilluminated) by the unaided human eye—such as of the size ofconventional status indicators.

In one embodiment in which the holes 504 are utilized to form statusindicators for a portable computer such as the portable computer 100(FIG. 1), the holes 504 have a diameter of 0.02 mm. Spacings between theholes 504 are a distance of 0.18 mm. The size of the status indicatorpattern itself (e.g., the pattern 506) varies from a fraction of a mm toseveral mm across, depending upon the actual pattern that is depicted.

Referring now to FIG. 6, therein is shown a cross-sectional view 600 ofthe fragment 500, taken on line 6-6 in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, aclear coat 602 fills the holes 504. A light source such as a light 604is configured for providing light to be transmitted through the holes504 when the pattern 506 (FIG. 5) status indicator is actuated to the onstate.

It has been discovered that the clear coat 602 provides several aspects.For example, it closes and seals off the holes 504, protecting them fromingress of dirt, oil, and other contaminants that might degrade thelight transmissivity thereof. The outer surface is thus secured in caseof exposure to contamination.

The clear coat 602 can also be modified or adjusted to provide desiredeffects concerning the light that is being transmitted through the holes504. For example, the clear coat 602 may be provided with a desiredcolor, such as by incorporating a corresponding color, dye, orfluorescent dye thereinto. Alternatively or additionally, particles maybe provided or incorporated into the clear coat 602. Such particles mayalso be colored to provide various desired effects with regard to thecolor qualities of the light issuing from the holes 504. These particlesmay include, for example, nano-size reflective metallic particles,silicon particles, mica particles, fluorescent particles, and so forth.Such particles arc advantageous, for example, when it is desired todisperse the light emanating from the holes 504 over a wider viewingangle.

Referring now to FIG. 7, therein is shown an inverted cross-sectionalview 700 of the fragment 500 in an early stage of manufacture, taken online 6-6 in FIG. 5. In this stage of manufacture, the holes 504 havebeen formed, for example with a laser drill 704, and the fragment 500has been cleaned with air or isopropanol ultrasonic and dried. The holes504 are conical and extend from an inner surface 702 to the opaque outersurface 502.

In a previous technique, the next steps involved application of a UVcurable clear coat to the (uninverted) opaque outer surface 502 followedby UV curing from the inner surface 702 after the clear coat penetratedthrough the holes 504. The UV curing was performed by exposing the UVcurable clear coat to a UV light. When the curing was completed, smallfingers of cured clear coat remained sticking up on the surface oppositethe surface toward which the UV light had been directed. The fingerswere formed from clear coat that was cured by the UV light that hadshined outwardly from the holes. The fingers of clear coat were thenbroken off and wiped away. When the fingers were broken off, they wouldform either very smooth surfaces or very cracked and faceted surfaces.As a result, clear coat in holes with smooth surfaces would conductvisible light more efficiently than clear coat in holes with cracked andfaceted surfaces. Thus, the cracked surfaces led to a lower intensityand homogeneity of the transmitted visible light, degrading theuniformity of visible light between holes.

The systems of the present invention overcome the disadvantages ofprevious techniques. They also provide new versatility, options, andcapabilities not achievable with previous techniques.

Referring now to FIG. 8, therein is shown the structure of FIG. 7 afterfurther processing. A side UV light 802 that is substantially parallelto the outer surface 502 is turned on from the side of the fragment 500,emitting side UV light 804 on the outer surface 502. The side UV light804 should be sufficiently parallel to the outer surface 502 to preventUV light 804 from entering the holes 504 and curing a clear coat 806before the clear coat 806 reaches the outer surface 502. In thisembodiment, the direction of the side UV light 804 is 0 degrees to theouter surface 502 of the fragment 500. Although 0 degrees to the outersurface 502 is preferred, the side UV light 804 could typically be, forexample, between 0 and 10 degrees, depending upon the hole geometry.

The UV curable clear coat 806 is then applied to the inner surface 702using, for example, a syringe dispensing station 808. The clear coat 806flows through the holes 504 and the leading edge solidifies uponexposure to the side UV light 802 at the outer surface 502 of thefragment 500.

In this embodiment the clear coat 806 is applied to the inner surface702 through the syringe dispensing station 808. The syringe dispensingstation 808 is less than 1 mm from the inner surface 702 and applies a3.9 psi pressure to push the clear coat 806 onto the holes 504. Theviscosity range of the clear coat 806 is approximately 10-50centi-poise. In this embodiment, the holes 504 are formed in aluminum,and there is a 1:3 ratio between the diameter of the holes 504 on theouter surface 502 and the diameter of the holes 504 on the inner surface702. Thus, the diameter of the holes 504 on the outer surface 502 isabout 30 microns and the diameter of the holes 504 on the inner surface702 is about 90 microns.

It has been unexpectedly discovered that the side UV light 802 willquickly cure a surface 805 of the clear coat 806 just as it reaches theouter surface 502, thus cauterizing it to be uniform with the outersurface 502. In this context the term cauterize will therefore beunderstood and defined to mean solidifying or curing to form a surfacethat is solid, smooth, and generally free of imperfections such ascracks, facets, or blemishes. Thus the clear coat 806 has thecharacteristics, for example of a meniscus surface that is free ofcracks, facets, or blemishes, and of having been formed and cauterizedwith the side UV light 804. The smooth and consistent outer surface 805of the clear coat 806 in each of the holes 504 thus subsequently allowsand facilitates the uniform, homogeneous transmission of visible lightthrough the holes 504. In addition to improving light uniformity, theside UV light 804 reduces manufacturing time by allowing the viscosityof the clear coat 806 to be very low, and eliminating the need for anadditional processing step to clean off fingers of clear coat followingthe curing thereof.

As will now be clear to those of skill in the art, based upon thisdisclosure, a major advantage of the present invention is that timing isnot critical. That is, in prior embodiments, the flow variables had tobe controlled to catch the clear coat just as it reached the oppositesurface, and to start the cure before it emerged through the holes. Thatwas difficult enough with uniform holes, and was made more difficultwhen flow rates varied from hole to hole. Now, with the presentinvention, each hole self-seals and stops flowing at the perfect momentwhen the clear coat reaches the surface and just before it emerges,preventing bleeding and run out. This allows the filling process to begreatly speeded up with very low viscosity or low surface tensionmaterial.

Referring now to FIG. 9, therein is shown a cross sectional view 900 ofthe fragment 500 after further processing. The clear coat 806 is exposedto direct UV light 902 from a direct UV light emitter 904. The direct UVlight emitter 904 produces light substantially parallel to the axes ofthe holes 504, beginning the curing process of the clear coat 806 in theinterior of the holes 504. In the present embodiment, the clear coat 806is exposed from the outer surface 502 of the fragment 500 for 8 secondswith a 13 mm, 100 W DC mercury vapor short arc lamp.

Referring now to FIG. 10, therein is shown a cross sectional view 1000of the fragment 500 after further processing. The clear coat 806 isexposed to a second direct UV light 1002 from a second direct UV lightemitter 1004. The second direct UV light emitter 1004 produces lightparallel to the holes 504, completing the curing process of the clearcoat 806. Thus, for example, since the clear coat 806 is now solid andcan no longer flow, the clear coat 806 has the characteristics of havingbeen formed with the direct UV light 902 and 1002. In the presentembodiment, the clear coat 806 is exposed from the inner surface 702 ofthe fragment 500 for 8 seconds with a 13 mm, 100 W DC mercury vaporshort arc lamp.

In an alternate embodiment (not shown), a single UV light emitter may beused to cure the clear coat 806 in the interior of the holes 504. Inthat case, a multiple beam splitter may also be used to aim direct UVlight at both the inner and outer surfaces 702 and 502.

Referring now to FIG. 11, therein is shown a cross sectional view 1100of the fragment 500 after further processing. The outer surface 502 ofthe fragment 500 is wiped and cleaned. In the present embodiment theouter surface 502 is cleaned with isopropyl alcohol or acetone. Ifdesired for reasons such as clearance issues with other fixtures, excessof the clear coat 806 (FIG. 10) may be removed from the inner surface702.

Of course, based on these teachings, it will now be clear to one ofordinary skill in the art that these various solutions may be combined.For example, suspended nano-particles may be combined with texturedsurrounding surfaces to provide even greater camouflage for the presenceof the invisible holes.

It has also been unexpectedly discovered that various surface effects,such as simulated etching, can be achieved by combining differentlysized holes, different hole spacings, different fillers, different lightsources, different surface finishes, and combinations of these, asdesired. According to the desired effect, it will now be understood,therefore, that larger, visible holes may be employed along with theinvisible holes to achieve unexpected, sometimes dramatic effects. Theseeffects include, for example, smooth shading, gradual or abrupt changesin texture, and so on, as the mix of these variable features changesfrom one location to another.

It will also be understood and appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art, based on this disclosure, that the hole spacings and sizes, assuggested above, need not be as uniform as they are illustrated in thedrawing FIGs. Variable spacings and sizes may be used to achieveeffects, such as differences in texture, gradations in brightness, andso forth.

A significant advantage of the present invention that has beenunexpectedly discovered is that embodiments that utilize holes ofdifferent (unequal) sizes can process the holes simultaneously to fillall the holes with clear coat at the same time. This is made possible bythe present invention, even though differently sized holes fill atdifferent rates and in different times, because each holeself-terminates the filling process precisely upon filling up.Self-termination occurs when the clear coat reaches the opposite surfaceand is cauterized, thereby stopping the flow of the clear coat at justthe right time for each hole.

Another significant advantage of the present invention, that has beenunexpectedly discovered is that embodiments that utilize rough surfaces,including for example, anodized finishes that cause the holes to havedifferent exit altitudes, can process the holes simultaneously to fillall the holes with the clear coat at the same time. As previouslydescribed, self-termination occurs when the clear coat reaches theopposite surface and is cauterized. Thus the present inventionautomatically mimics the surface topography, so that each hole is customcured.

Referring now to FIG. 12, therein is shown a flow chart of a process1200 for manufacturing an invisible, light-transmissive display system1200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Thesystem 1200 includes providing a light resistant material in a block1202; penetrating substantially invisible holes between the firstsurface and the second surface in a predetermined light-transmissivedisplay pattern in a block 1204; exposing the second surface to a sidecuring light that is substantially parallel to the second surface at theinvisible holes thereadjacent in a block 1206; applying alight-conducting curable filler into the invisible holes from the firstsurface in a block 1208; curing surfaces of the light-conducting curablefiller in the invisible holes at the second surface with the side curinglight in a block 1210; and curing the remaining curable filler in theinvisible holes in a block 1212.

It has been discovered that the present invention thus has numerousaspects.

A principle aspect that has been unexpectedly discovered is that thesystem of the present invention can economically reduce manufacturingsteps while increasing uniformity and quality of invisible displaysystems. For example, a wipe step to remove excess cured material is nolonger required.

Another aspect is that the system of the present invention homogeneouslytransmits visible light, thus unobtrusively providing highly effective,uniform, aesthetically pleasing, and highly desirable surface displays.

Another aspect is that the present invention provides a uniform outersurface that is free of cracks, facets, or blemishes in the clear coat.

Another aspect is that the present invention decreases manufacturingtime by allowing the use of a very low viscosity clear coat.

Another aspect is that the present invention uniformly fills holes ofunequal sizes simultaneously and timing is not critical.

Yet another important aspect of the system of the present invention isthat it valuably supports and services the historical trend of reducingcosts, simplifying systems, and increasing performance.

These and other valuable aspects of the present invention consequentlyfurther the state of the technology to at least the next level.

Thus, it has been discovered that the invisible, light-transmissivedisplay system of the present invention furnishes important andheretofore unknown and unavailable solutions, capabilities, andfunctional aspects for display systems for electronic and other devices.The resulting configurations are straightforward, cost-effective,uncomplicated, aesthetically pleasing and attractive, highly versatileand effective, can be surprisingly and unobviously implemented byadapting known technologies, and are thus readily suited for efficientlyand economically manufacturing highly desirable and appealing invisibledisplay systems.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specificbest mode, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications,and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light ofthe aforegoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace allsuch alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within thescope of the included claims. All matters hithertofore set forth hereinor shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative and non-limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing structure having a first planar surface and a second planar surface; at least one opening that extends from the first planar surface to the second planar surface; light curable material formed in the at least one opening, wherein a surface of the light curable material is a cured planar surface, wherein the cured planar surface is formed in a common plane with the first planar surface, and wherein the light curable material also includes an uncured portion that extends from the cured planar surface to the second planar surface of the housing structure.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the cured planar surface is a solid surface.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the housing structure comprises an opaque material.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein the opaque material comprises metal.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the light curable material comprises a light-transmissive and ultra-violet curable material.
 6. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one opening has a diameter at the first planar surface that is less than 100 microns.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one opening has a conical shape.
 8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein the at least one opening has an additional diameter at the second planar surface that is less than 40 microns.
 9. A method of manufacturing an electronic device having a housing structure with a first housing surface and a second housing surface, the method comprising: forming at least one opening in the housing structure, wherein the at least one opening extends from the first housing surface to the second housing surface; forming a light curable material in the at least one opening; and forming a planar cured surface on the light curable material by curing a surface of the light curable material while leaving a portion of the light curable material uncured, wherein forming the planar cured surface comprises forming the planar cured surface in a common plane with the first housing surface.
 10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein the first housing surface comprises a planar housing surface and wherein forming the planar cured surface in the common plane with the first housing surface comprises: forming the planar cured surface in a common plane with the planar housing surface.
 11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein curing the surface of the light curable material comprises: curing the surface of the light curable material using light that is emitted in a direction that is parallel to the planar housing surface.
 12. The method defined in claim 9, further comprising: curing the uncured portion of the light curable material.
 13. The method defined in claim 9, wherein forming at least one opening in the housing structure comprises: forming the at least one opening with a diameter that is less than 100 microns.
 14. The method defined in claim 9, wherein the light curable material comprises a light-transmissive and ultra-violet curable material and wherein curing the surface of the light curable material comprises: curing the surface of the light curable material using ultra-violet light.
 15. A status indicator for an electronic device, comprising: a housing having a plurality of openings, wherein each opening has a diameter that is less than 100 microns; a light-cured filler in each of the plurality of openings; and a light source adjacent to the plurality of openings, wherein the light source is operable to indicate an operational status of the electronic device to a user by transmitting visible light through the light-cured filler.
 16. The status indicator defined in claim 15, wherein the light-cured filler has an outer surface that is formed in a common plane with an outer surface of the housing.
 17. The status indicator defined in claim 16, wherein the plurality of openings are substantially invisible when the light source is in an unilluminated state.
 18. The status indicator defined in claim 17, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings has a diameter that is equal to 90 microns.
 19. The status indicator defined in claim 17, wherein the housing has an inner surface, wherein each opening in the plurality of openings has a first diameter at the outer surface of the housing and a second diameter at the inner surface of the housing, and wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.
 20. The status indicator defined in claim 16, wherein the electronic device has an active operational status and wherein the light source is configured to transmit visible light through the light-cured filler when the electronic device is in the active operational state. 